Preface: Madeline's Birth Story

Just like my pregnancy was extra long, Madeline's labor and birth followed suit. It's going to take me a while to write the whole story, not just because I am still trying to process all six days of it, but because I have a precious newborn who is a lot more fun to be with than at the computer. So I'll write this story and post it in parts over the next few days between breastfeeding and nap sessions.

I'd like to preface this series of blog posts by saying that while my birth didn't go as planned, it was still an incredible experience that has left me feeling powerful beyond measure. 

Early on in the pregnancy, I decided I wanted to have a natural birth. The more research I did, the more Brett and I felt that it was the safest and best option for both me and the baby. I felt that it was a life changing and empowering experience that I wanted to have. I saw amazing videos of several peaceful water births and was incredibly intrigued. It was amazing to see birth in a such a peaceful light.

Here in Utah, water births are not offered in hospitals. So at 30 weeks of pregnancy I transferred to a birth center that offered water birth as an option.  I was so intrigued by the amazing midwives and support that The Birth Center had. I was also impressed by their < 5% cesarean section rate for their patients (considering the cesarean section rate in the United States is currently at a whopping 34%). We love everything about The Birth Center. It's the kind of place that you walk in and everyone knows you personally. They only accept up to ten patients per month of due date, so it is a very intimate group. The midwives are incredible, their views of pregnancy and birth were spot on with us, and there was a great sense of community there between all the moms.

Brett and I took an eight week long Brio Birth class where we learned all about birth, labor, and newborn care. We learned about laboring positions, the pros and cons of medical interventions, relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, breastfeeding, nutrition, and planting your placenta in your yard. (Yes, Brett and I are quite a bit more granola than you'd expect.) We loved our small class of three couples and our incredible birth instructor Alyssa Bray.

We planned to have a completely intervention free water birth. No induction, no IV, no Pitocin, no epidural, no "purple pushing", no artificial rupturing of membranes (breaking the water), no episiotomy, no unnecessary ultrasounds, no continuous fetal monitoring, and no cesearean section.

We planned to welcome our baby girl in a calm and intimate environment, with dim lights, hushed voices, and a small group of care providers. We planned to have immediate skin to skin contact, delayed cord clamping, and either Brett or I would catch the baby.

The birth ended up being completely different than planned and I ended up with almost everything I didn't want. However, the medical interventions we chose to use were necessary to bring our little girl into this world. Though I am still mourning the loss of the natural water birth I had planned to have, I am so grateful for the medical technology that made it possible for me to have my baby.

Through this story, you will see that I had a unique opportunity to experience almost every different kind of labor/birth. My midwife jokes that I labored enough at home to have four babies, enough at the birth center to have three, and enough in the hospital to have two.

That's a lot of babies.


Click on the links below to read the story:

Madeline's Birth Story: Part I
Madeline's Birth Story: Part II
Madeline's Birth Story: Part III